Dr. Gresham Introduces New Model to Improve Outcomes in Special Education
Dr. Doran Gresham
Dr. Doran Gresham
Assistant Professor, Special Education and Disability Studies
School: Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Department: Special Education and Disability Studies, Cross-Disciplinary
Contact:
Email:
Dr. Doran Gresham
Office Phone:
(202) 994-1509
Dr. Gresham’s primary research interest pertains to the overrepresentation of minorities in classrooms for students with special needs. To that end, he created "The Gresham Survey" to quantitatively assess the perceptions of general educators about the overrepresentation of elementary aged African American males identified as having an emotional disturbance. Since 2005, this tool has been modified so that it might also include the voices and opinions of administrators. The purpose of this research is to shed light on to this chronic institutionalized civil rights issue, which leads to systemic poor outcomes for students of color.
In 2015, Dr. Gresham published a collection of essays and interviews called Why the SUN Rises: the faces and stories of women in education. This interesting and vibrant work was co-written and edited by Dr. Gresham and helps to reveal why women in education return to work with and advocate for their students day after day.
Prior to joining the faculty of the George Washington University, Dr. Gresham worked for 5 years as a Master Educator and 1 year as a Senior Master Educator with the D.C. Public Schools system. In this capacity, Dr. Gresham and an elite group of content specialists from the IMPACT team evaluated and supported each teacher in the district using the Teaching and Learning Framework (TLF).
In 2004, 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, D.C. recognized Dr. Gresham as their Elliott Hair Man of the Year for his work in helping to create the Saturday Leadership Academy, which exists today as a group based mentoring platform that provides mentees with opportunities to form healthy connections with positive minority male professionals.
In 2015 the George Washington University recognized Dr. Gresham by presenting him with the Rita Ives Award, which is given to one person in the field of special education who has shown exemplary progress in advancing the lives of students with special needs.
Ed.D., The George Washington University
M.Ed., The College of William and Mary
B.A., The University of Virginia
- Special Education and Disability Studies
- Special Education Law
- Special Education Policies, Methods, Consulting, Mentoring
- Instructional Coaching / Executive Coaching
- Clinical Supervision
- Child Development
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy
- Restorative Practices
- September 2024 - Pour the Water: Transformative Solutions for Equity & Justice in Special Education by Marcy Rachamim Jackson was published, featuring an interview with Dr. Doran Gresham. In the book, Dr. Gresham discusses the overrepresentation of Black males in restrictive special education classrooms. "The Gresham Survey" identifies key factors contributing to this issue, including school-related variables, teacher perception, and environmental factors. Dr. Gresham’s insights highlight systemic biases and advocate for equitable solutions to ensure all students receive the support they need.
- May 2024 - Dr. Doran Gresham presented two interactive workshops at the Mississippi Statewide Chronic Absenteeism and Dropout Prevention Conference in Jackson, Mississippi. The first session, "Addressing Absenteeism in Special Education: Strategies for Engagement and Impact," focused on tracking absenteeism and implementing evidence-based strategies to improve attendance among students with disabilities. The second session, "Hip Hop Hooray: Addressing Absenteeism Through Arts-Based Immersion Programs," explored how hip-hop culture can engage students with disabilities and reduce absenteeism through creative and inclusive methods. Both sessions provided attendees with practical tools and strategies to enhance student engagement and promote better attendance in their educational settings.
- December 2023 - Dr. Doran Gresham partnered with SPEDxchange, which is an online community that houses special education information, jobs, and helpful resources for educators. His featured essay is entitled, Wild Horses: Four Points to Consider When Teaching the 21st Century Learner. Read his relatable and informative piece >
- October 2023 - Dr. Doran Gresham participated in GSEHD’s Fall Preview Day, where prospective students attended masterclasses based on their content-based interests. The title of his interactive workshop was, “Increasing Access in Special Education Using the 6 Rs (Rigor, Relevance, Relationships, Restoration, Responsiveness, and Reflection).”
- July 2023 - Dr. Doran Gresham served as a student keynote coach and a workshop leader for the 10th annual I'm Determined to MOVE Summit, for students with special needs. His interactive hands-on session title was, "Securing young trees on all sides: Building more resilient youth with exceptionalities in the 21st century." MOVE is a three-day event sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education to help students unlock their potential to overcome barriers, become self-determined, and graduate high school to be college and career-ready. While the event is open to and intended to support all students with disabilities from across the Commonwealth, the program is oriented to provide support to African American males with disabilities.
- March 2020 - Dr. Doran Gresham and GSEHD doctoral student Mary Bonnell (Special Education and Disability Studies) led a teacher workshop at the Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities and Diversity in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their session was entitled, "The 5 Rs Framework for Student-Centered Instruction." This motivating and interactive working group explored ways to enhance classroom rigor, relevance, relationships, responsiveness, and reflection.
- January 2020 - Dr. Doran Gresham and GSEHD alumna Dr. Mary Bonnell (Ed.D., Special Education and Disability Studies) presented at OSSE’s Implementation in Action Conference: Transforming School Culture and Climate. The title of their interactive workshop for educators was, “Move the Crowd with the 5 R’s and Level Up Your Teaching.” During this interactive session, teachers practiced ways to increase student thinking and the relevance of lessons while best practices for instruction were modeled and utilized by group participants.
